Dale Ward's Blog, page 2

Joseph Lewis: author and blogger

I had a nice chat with Joseph Lewis and here is the result: https://jrlewisauthor.blog/2023/11/09/meet-dale-ward-an-author/

Please check it out and be sure to check out Mr. Lewis’s books as well. (“Caught in a Web,” “Spiral Into Darkness,” “Betrayed,” “Blaze In, Blaze Out” among others.) Good stuff!

Wrecker is a bit of a wreck…

Let me first start off by saying I am a huge Carl Hiaasen fan. I’ve read every novel he has written, and have enjoyed them all. I look forward to whenever he has a new book coming out. And that was the case with “Wrecker.” But this one did not connect for me. Can I say it was a bit of a wreck? There are too many plots weaving in and out. The tense jumps from present to past and back again. And being set in the time of COVID dates it from the get-go. To top it off, the whole COVID vax preaching is lame, and I wish it WAS true that everyone who got vaxed, wore a mask, stayed home, etc. would have been kept from getting the “rona,” (which is said in the book), in which case, my own mother would still be with us. The whole “get vaccinated” routine throughout the book was very tiresome. (I wonder if Mr. Hiaasen is one of those who drive around alone in their car with a mask on?)
The main plot line about the high schoolers forced into smuggling was fun enough (if not too believable), and the Wrecker character was easy to play along with, but the whole book felt way too adult for a young audience, which was the target. Oh well, here’s hoping Hiaasen gets back on the right track with his next adult novel, and keeps to the fun and funniness, and less on the preaching and proselytizing. Unfortunately, with all the wreckage, I cannot recommend this book for kids or adults.

Thanks to Bad Moon Rising!

#BadMoonRising Killing the Butterfly by Dale Ward #thriller #suspense

“The Happy Widow” review

“The Happy Widow” is a fun book that, like all of David Crosby novels, takes place in Florida. His bare bones approach works again as “The Happy Widow” drives forward with multiple plot lines (this time dealing with elder abuse and scams) that all meld together at the end. Former journalist Will Harper is back on the job (part time, of course) tracking this all down, while getting involved with an old girlfriend (well, not old, but previous), who is back for a stay on his deck. This is fun and quick read that moves along quickly. Once again, Crosby takes us on an intriguing stop in Florida. Give it a look.

A Better Heart review

I have to admit that I was a bit leery entering into a read about a father and a son and a monkey, but this book rocks it! Perhaps because it is about a struggling, newbie filmmaker (of which I have been), I resonated immediately with Kevin Stacey. From page one I was into this book about an estranged father (a life-long supporting actor) who shows up at his son’s place unannounced, towing along a monkey and a new wife. When we find out the monkey is stolen and is wanted by the FBI, things really get rolling.
The writing is crisp and refreshing. Chuck Augello is one top of his game, and the words flow beautifully off the page. I even appreciated the time shift that happens a couple of times, and this time shift element is spot-0n. There’s mystery, suspense, humor, animosity, forgiveness, and renewal, along with some added cameos by noted celebrities. Wow – what fun.
When a book ends and you wish there was more – you want to spend more time with these people – you know it is a must-read. Pick up a copy today. You will not be disappointed.

“In the Lair of Legends” review

David Buzan’s “In the Lair of Legends” will trap you in its grip from page one. This is a page-turner on steroids. The action is not only nonstop, but intense and relentless. Trying to rehash the plot line would be exhausting as the action moves through a variety of scenarios that each build and climax, carried forward on the back of the hero Jolon Winterhawk. Winterhawk is a Native American Civil War veteran on one last run before retirement where he plans to live out his days with his wife and daughter. But one last run proves to be more than he may have bargained for, finding himself at odds with outlaw bandits, fellow soldiers, his own past, and some fierce beasts in the forests of Oregon. (Interspersed throughout is some interesting Civil War history and trivia that for most is not common knowledge.)
You’ll want to allow yourself plenty of time each time you sit with this book because it is hard to put down. This novel is packed with enough action for several books, and reading it is like a roller-coaster ride: thrilling, fast-paced, and breath-taking. Pick it up and go for a ride. It will not disappoint.

“On His Majesty’s Secret Service” review

Even though Ian Fleming has been gone for nearly 60 years now, I still look forward to a new James Bond novel commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications. (See the previous review of “With a Mind to Kill.”) Anthony Horowitz has been doing a great job and keeping true to the Ian Fleming character. Not so with this new novel by Charlie Higson. The main character bears little resemblance to the Ian Fleming one. This guy is a whiney, woke, political cry-baby that even rejects a naked woman, a free glass of quality whiskey, and a premium cigar – assuming that this guy does not smoke. He is way too health-conscious, even taking advice from a magazine article on taking care of your “gut,” because he “lives by his gut.” Yuck. The plot is minimal and is really only an excuse for Higson to wax poetic on his political leanings and politically-correct rhetoric, all the while claiming that the bad guys (mere caricatures) are doing the same thing. Awful.

Let’s say the best thing about this novel it its length – it’s short! In fact, I would not have finished it (heaven forbid!), but, because by the time I was fed up with this “Bond,” I was only 50 or 60 pages from the end, I trudged through to the conclusion. I have read every Bond novel, but if the next one is written by Mr. Higson, I’ll have to pass. A sad day to see the novels go the way of the films and make Bond a different person than whom Ian Fleming intended. If you are looking to read a James Bond novel, don’t bother with this one. You’re much better off to read a classic Fleming one. Be sure to get a used one and not one of the new “rewritten” ones. All of this creates a real tragedy. Bond has indeed finally been killed off.

“Stable” review

STABLE by Cam Torrens

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read through “Stable” in several days, which is unusual for me. That always means one thing: that the book grabbed me from the start and I had a hard time putting it down, in fact, finding myself going back to it again and again to read more, needing to see what will happen next to Tyler Zahn (and his daughter Daria) in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The action – the twists and turns – never let up from page one. There’s search and rescue missions, multiple kidnappings, police investigations, abuse allegations, and also – within all this – hope and forgiveness. The characters have depth – which means we see their warts and struggles and failures, as well as their history with each other – some good and some not so good.
During her school break, Daria is visiting her estranged father Tyler at his home in a small town in the mountains, hoping to get to know him after his being out of the picture for years. She’s not so sure about this, and with good reason. But as their lives intertwine together and with the local crime scenes, they find a need to rely on each other, and perhaps to love and care and forgive one another. Enjoyable to find are the religious undertones that in reality, prevail in many people’s lives, as well as some of the people we meet in “Stable.” These are not plot devices, but a clear way of seeing the depth of the characters and how they move through, in fact, survive in life. Pick up this book and dive in. You will be riveted while the pace is relentless.



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Kindle Sale for Publishing Anniversary

In honor of “Killing the Butterfly” having its one-year publishing anniversary this week, it will be on sale for Kindle for only $0.99. Look for it May 19 -23. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, here’s your chance. If you have: THANKS! (And please post a review or a rating on Amazon – that would mean a lot!) It is also available as an audio book and in paperback, but no “on sale” this time.

Nineteen-year-old Patty has a lot of baggage. Abusive parents. A horrible boyfriend. The stifling cocoon of her Podunk town. She longs to become a travel writer — visiting exotic lands far, far away…

But escaping town the way she does, forced by her boyfriend Roy to join him on a violent crime spree across middle America was not the travel of Patty’s dreams. It’s a journey that will only land her in jail — or dead. But escaping Roy is out of the question. He’d hunt her down, find her, and surely beat her worse than he’s ever beaten her before.

When they stumble across the gentleman alone at the cabin by the lake, he offers Patty a glimmer of hope and freedom. But this man hides evil secrets of his own…

Reader’s Favorite review